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Veganism is taking the business world by storm – with non-animal retail sales expected to hit £658million by 2021.

The Vegan Society estimates there are 600,000 vegans in the UK, a four-fold increase on the 150,000 it counted just five years ago.

Veganism has become a popular lifestyle choice for thousands of people, and consumers are increasingly demanding products which do not contain animal products - both out of concern for their health and for ethical and environmental reasons.

So with it being World Vegan Month, what better time to look at some of the growing band of vegan businesses transforming the economy.

World Vegan Month, kicked off by World Vegan Day on November 1, is an annual event celebrated by vegans around the world. The benefits of veganism for humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment are celebrated through activities such as setting up stalls and planting memorial trees.

Viva! – the UK’s leading vegan charity – is also running its own World Vegan Day campaign, #GoVegan24, which encourages people to go vegan for 24 hours. The national campaign is backed by celebrity supporters, including Fearne Cotton and Gabrielle Aplin.

Meanwhile, interest in vegetarian and vegan products shows no sign of slowing down, as retail sales are expected to increase to £658million by 2021.

And job postings with the word vegan in the title have nearly quadrupled in just three years, new research by the world’s largest jobs site Indeed reveals.

The hike of 284% from July 2016 to July 2019 is matched by postings with vegan in the job description up by an incredible 276% since 2017 alone.

January 2019 saw a sudden 28% spike in opportunities, coinciding with the biggest ever “Veganuary” - a campaign that encourages people to eat vagan during January. Postings have risen every month since then.

Coconuts Organic has just launched two new flavours (Image: Shannon Hards)

The rapid increase in employer demand for such jobs, which appear most frequently in the food and beauty sectors, has coincided with an explosion in the number of vegan restaurants, shops, cafes and food products, along with the growing popularity of beauticians and hairdressers who use animal-free products.

Indeed’s data also shows there is a strong supply of workers looking for such jobs, with a third more candidates searching for vegan roles in 2019 compared to 2016 (up 34.4%).

Bill Richards, UK managing director at Indeed, said: “An explosion in the popularity of vegan lifestyles has brought with it both business and employment opportunities.

“The ‘vegan pound’ is increasingly powerful. As restaurants, bars, the food industry as a whole - and the beauty sector - rush to cater for it, we’ve seen a surge in job creation.”

So here are 26 South West businesses that are totally vegan and proving the lifestyle change is also transforming the economy:

Gaia Skincare

The Gaia Skincare brand

A high-end vegan skincare brand developed at a multi-million pound Plymouth spa signed its first deal to be sold in a luxury hotel in 2019

Gaia Skincare has been developed at the high-quality Gaia Spa, which opened at five-star Boringdon Hall Hotel in 2016, and is now attracting national attention.

The brand has now partnered with the prestigious Whatley Manor, in the Cotswolds, as part of an expansion plan to offer the Gaia range and treatment collection at selected spas throughout the UK.

The sustainable, natural skincare range and treatment will be offered at Whatley Manor’s Aquarias Spa.

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Two Drifters Brewery

A Devon husband and wife team has started Britain’s first carbon negative brewery and distillery – making beer and rum which is vegan and as good for the planet as it is on your taste buds.

Gemma and Russ Wakeham launched Two Drifters Brewery and Distillery in Exeter at Easter 2019. From their base near Exeter Airport they produce drinks which allow consumers to make a difference to climate change.

“To the best of our knowledge, we are the world’s first carbon negative brewery and distillery,” said Gemma, head brewer.

“By this we mean we offset more than all the associated CO2 emissions we calculate to make our products, and not just from what we do here in our warehouse but all the way from the growing and shipping of the ingredients right through to the packaging and delivery.”

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Roots Foundation

There’s a barber shop at the bottom of one of Exeter’s independent streets which is doing things differently.

The Roots Foundation, which opened its doors in 2017, was the UK’s first vegan barber shop. Owners Luke Burgon and PJ Shepherd have the mantra: “positivity, inclusivity and compassion”.

Mr Burgon said: “After looking into it we realised no one else had done it. We didn’t push it because we knew that, we just thought ‘flipping hell there’s isn’t actually something like this’, which is always nice.”

Mr Shepherd added: “It was like, if we can make the whole shop vegan then why wouldn’t we?

“As a business that’s what we do, if we have events everything will be vegan. Our chairs are leather free, our products are completely animal free and they are also entirely handmade and natural.

“That’s something that is a big part of our business and ethos – vegan, natural and handmade. It means we only work with small producers so we know the names of all the people who put this stuff in the jars for us – that’s really great and we really love that.

“Even if you’re not vegan and by no means all of our customers are, who wants animal products in their hair?”

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Samphire Brasserie

The Plymouth vegan restaurant was named as one of the top 10 in the UK in 2018 – and was one of the first vegan businesses in the city.

Samphire Brasserie, which opened in 2013 on Mayflower Street, has been reviewed by customers on TripAdvisor as one of the best vegan eateries in the country.

Founders Becca Speare and her partner Joe Wadge became vegan together after both having been vegetarians.

They said the idea for the cruelty-free restaurant stemmed from their struggle to find somewhere to eat out that did not include fish in the restaurant’s ingredients.

The couple began their venture with the help of Outset Plymouth Start Up and a loan of £20,000. The eatery began as both a vegetarian and vegan establishment but soon ditched the dairy,

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Power Plant Cafe

The shop part of Power Plant Cafe in Plymouth (Image: Penny Cross / Plymouth Live)

Plymouth city centre’s premier vegan store reopened in September 2019 in larger premises with a new look and a new name – and as a cafe too.

The family team behind the Ethica store, which broke new ground over a five year spell, e xpanded and launched Power Plant Cafe, having shifted from Armada Way just around the corner into Cornwall Street.

Elaine Edwards, her son Mike Genner and his partner Amelia Greenwood invested £55,000 into the new venture, and have added a cafe with a new food offering coming soon too.

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Academy of Beauty Nutrition

Vegan author Star Khechara launched the Academy of Beauty Nutrition in late 2017

Vegan author Star Khechara launched the Academy of Beauty Nutrition in late 2017 to train health coaches, nutritionists and skincare experts in the science of radical plant- based anti-ageing nutrition.

With more than 140 students in eight countries the academy is helping professionals on the frontline of holistic health to harness the power of plant nutrition to give their clients younger, healthier and more vibrant skin, hair and nails.

As well as training the next generation of health coaches, Ms Khechara is also working on her next book The Facelift Diet.

Ms Graham said: "We make familiar foods with plant-based ingredients to encourage people to make healthier choices for themselves and the planet. We are tackling food poverty in Stonehouse as a CIC and will be bringing community food projects to the area."

Vegan business stories...

Cosmic Kitchen

Sisters Gabriela and Lucia Evangelou may be identical twins but they have started a business like no other – a vegan restaurant in a building that was once used to store dead bodies.

Gabriela and Lucia run the Cosmic Kitchen pop-up every Monday at the Old Morgue, the tucked-away bar, in a building once used as a wartime mortuary, just off bustling Union Street.

The twins, both experienced chefs as well as vegans, serve delicious wraps, salads and hot dishes from noon to 9pm at the first-floor venue, in Manor Street, just opposite the Palace Theatre.

On the menu are jackfruit or Caribbean curry wraps, “Scotch eggs” made from tofu and potato, hot dishes of the day such as lasagne, moussaka or spinach parcels, or patrons can partake from an all-you-can-eat style salad bar, with coleslaw, hummus and potato salad. There are sweet treats, chocolate truffles and peanut butter cups, too.

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Vivo Life

The Vivo Life team celebrates its win at the Vegfest UK awards

For the second year running, Bristol-based Vivo Life was crowned champion in the ‘Best Vegan Superfoods and Supplements’ category at the VegFest London, October 2019.

VegfestUK's event at Olympia London celebrated its 7th year in 2019 and is currently the UK's flagship vegan event. This year the event attracted thousands of attendees over two days.

Following a public vote, Vivo Life beat some stiff competition to take home first prize for its product range. Dedicated to providing the highest quality products which are kind to health and kind to the planet, Vivo Life has continued to innovate and expand its product offering, which includes the launch of its new Omega-3 drops, and its 100% home compostable packaging.

Vivo Life Co-Founder Josh Bolding said: “We’re thrilled to take home the award for best vegan superfoods and supplements for the second year running.

“This year we were hugely proud to launch our 100% home compostable packaging, as well as a range of new products, and this award win is testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, who all share our ethos of creating amazing plant-based health and fitness products which are kind to the planet."

Rickard Lane’s

Raj Jain runs Health Mantra, in Ilford, but splashed out on the Plymouth business because he wanted to move to the South West.

The store, which specialises in health food and herbal remedies alongside vegan food products, is 144-years old. Mr Jain, a vegetarian and married to a vegan, wants to bring in practitioners to do therapies such as reflexology, hypnotherapy, homeopathy and ayurvedic massage.

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Love Vegan App

Love Vegan App was created by Plymouth business woman Jo Lines

Love Vegan App was created by Plymouth business woman Jo Lines, who became vegan in 2018 and has since been on a mission to raise awareness and give other people the education, community and support to follow a plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle.

For World Vegan Day the Love Vegan App put together a 40-day plan full of vegan content: videos, recipes , facts, blogs and podcasts to give anyone thinking of giving veganism a try a great way to learn more about the lifestyle in a “fun and easy way”.

“This means that our products will never contain animal products or bi-products and will never be tested on animals,” he said. “ We also have a strong social mission to empower men to live healthier and happier lives. Kings will fund men's mental health projects and we are committed to raising awareness around the subject.”

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V is for Veggies

V is For Veggies makes vegan cakes

In 2016 Lynsey Rice decided to eat healthier, be more creative and have a more meaningful career. And thus V Is For Veggies was born in Plymouth.

The vegan cakes and bakes business now supplies several Plymouth businesses and Ms Rice said: “I take inspiration from my travels through Central America, Southern Africa, California and the Mediterranean.

“The ultimate goal is to provide vibrant and fresh flavours by infusing all of these cuisines and ideas whilst minimising the impact on our environment.

“So whether you're vegan, avoiding dairy or you're an inquisitive little monkey, I hope to feed you delicious treats and share the love.”

Vegan, vegetarian, lacto-ovo - know the difference

Vegans eat no animal products, while vegetarians don’t eat animals but may eat products that come from animals such as milk and eggs. People choose these diets because of health concerns, religious restrictions or moral concerns about harming animals or wanting to protect the environment.

Although all vegans tend to follow the same set of clear cut guidelines – eating nothing that comes from an animal – there are a some different vegetarian diets, such as:

Lacto-ovo (or ovo-lacto) - from the Latin words for milk and egg, and the most common type of vegetarians who eat dairy products and eggs but avoid meat, poultry and seafood.

Pesco - vegetarians, or pescatarians, who don’t technically meet the definition of vegetarian but follow a semi-vegetarian diet and eat fish and other seafood but not poultry or meat.

Clothes and cosmetics - vegans avoid wearing leather and suede because they are made from animal skins. They may avoid fabrics that are made from animal byproducts, including wool and silk, because animals can be harmed in the process. Many vegans also buy only cruelty-free cosmetics and beauty products.

The Big Kebabski

Dishes from the Big Kebabski

The Big Kebabski mobile vegan grub business has been touring the city for a couple of years, regularly found at the Royal William Yard.

The plant-based pop-up is run by vegan couple Justa Saczka and Luke Groombridge, who started it in early 2018. It was so successful they were able to pack in their full-time jobs as a gardener and restaurant supervisor, respectively.

They came up with a name that plays both on Justa’s Polish nationality and the cult Cohen brothers Big Lebowski movie.

Now they tour the South West offering vital vegan victuals, having ploughed their life savings into buying a hot food trailer packed with everything you need to produce non-meant-and-dairy nosh.

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Harris Hounds

Harris Hounds provides vegan dog grooming

Vegans can now pamper their pooches thanks to a new non-cruelty dog grooming service set up by a couple from Plymouth.

With veganism on the rise, Chris and Charlotte Harris have combined their love of man’s best friend and business to create a service that sees Chris walking miles each day to exercise dogs from all around the city, and Charlotte adding the finishing touches to the grooming salon that has just opened.

The Harris Hounds salon, in Hooe, uses only vegan-friendly products, such as doggy shampoos, and Charlotte said: “Our main aim is to provide a spa-like environment for dogs to be pampered and we offer everything from nail trimming to a full groom.

“Our products are certified vegan, natural and contain organic extracts and oils to give every pet’s coat only the finest ingredients.

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Flip

Inside Bristol's Flip

Flip is a vegan deli cafe which opened in Bristol in May 2019. It offers a new experience in vegan food: you can eat in, take away or talk to the staff find new ideas and ingredients for creating vegan meals on your own.

The main focus at Flip is on the deli counter which includes a range of dishes, sauces and salads that can be eaten in the cafe or taken home.

Alongside the deli there is a daily chef menu offering a main meal, brunches, toasties and sandwiches.

The business is run by Sophie Fox who also runs Cafe Create at the Create Centre environmental Hub in Hotwells, Bristol.

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Conscious Candy Company

A young Plymouth woman yearned for Woolworths style pick ‘n’ mix so much she created a company making cola bottles, fizzy strawberries and other yummy sweets.

But there is one key difference – they are all vegan.

Graphic design graduate Laura Scott only launched the Conscious Candy Company in early November 2018 but within weeks she has sold out of initial supplies of her product, started to expand her range and even quit her full time job to dedicate to the venture. She also bought a warehouse and office to expand into.

Lomi Lomi Massage and Spa

Everyone knows being vegan means not eating anything derived from an animal, but true veganism goes further – and includes having a massage.

Magdalena Kupiec runs Lomi Lomi Massage and Spa, in Plymouth’s Cornwall Street, and said vegans should check out that all massage-related products are cruelty free before they let a massage therapist lay on a finger.

“I work with vegan products only,” Magdalena said. “All my treatments are based on vegan friendly, natural skin care products. I use four different brands.”

Dippy’s

Dippy's vegan products

Eliza Hall met her partner JR whilst living in Vancouver. The couple bonded over their love for food, and each other, and began a journey that has now seen them start their food manufacturing business in Plymouth.

Dippy's is a vegan food manufacturing company, offering a range of tasty lunch options that are super easy, fast, healthy, and can be delivered straight to your door.

Ms Hall, aged 24, who is originally from Plymouth, is a health coach, and she met chef JR, aged 27, whilst working in a vegan pizza kitchen in Canada.

Once back in Plymouth, the couple set about creating their own healthy, yummy, and vegan chick pea based sandwich fillers, and realised they could be on to something special, and that's when Dippy's was born.